Offseason Decisions

By Mike Rifkin

During Friday’s Major League Baseball trade deadline, the New York Mets made a splash, acquiring shortstop Javier Baez from the Chicago Cubs. Baez will play shortstop until Francisco Lindor returns from his oblique injury and then shifts to Second base. After this season, Baez is a free agent but has said he wanted to play with his buddy Francisco Lindor. The Mets front office is going to have an interesting debate this offseason. But the Baez addition should put two current Mets on notice.

The first would be Right Fielder Michael Conforto, a free agent at season’s end. After Friday’s loss to the Reds, Conforto’s batting average is now .199 with six home runs and 24 RBI; he did miss significant time earlier this season due to a hamstring injury. The Mets will certainly offer Conforto a qualifying offer this winter, which if he signs elsewhere, the Mets get a compensation pick, but if he continues to struggle, he might take which could help the Mets. Conforto was the Mets’ first-round pick back in 2014 out of Oregon State University. At the time of the selection, the general manager of the Mets was Sandy Alderson, who currently serves as the team’s president. Conforto is represented by Scott Boras, who is a tough negotiator for most teams.

The other player who should be on notice is third baseman J.D. Davis missed a lot of time earlier this offseason due to a fractured hand. Davis is hitting .305 with four home runs and 11 RBI. Over Davis’ last five games, he is 1 for 15 with seven strikeouts. Davis is not the best defender over his five major league seasons. He has a minus 21 defensive runs saved. While J.D. is not a free agent, he is arbitration-eligible through 2024, enticing a team to trade for him. Now the reason I picked Davis over Jeff McNeil is McNeil is a better defender and versatile. He can play second base, third base, and the outfield. McNeil also can hit anywhere in the lineup and is left-handed on a right-handed dominating lineup.

So If Baez signs an extension with the Mets, you can trade J.D Davis for another need (starting pitcher). Then you can have Conforto walk as a free agent, and then you can either move Brandon Nimmo over to Right Field and bring in a different Center Fielder or sign a Right Fielder. Either way, the Baez move gives the Mets a lot of flexibility in handling this offseason.